The Green Dragon
by XxWanderlustxX
Summary: Hobbit AU. In which there is a dragon that is not Smaug, we learn the origins of a name, and Yavanna is very protective of her youngest children.
1. Chapter 1

The Green Dragon

By XxWanderlustxX

Summary: Hobbit AU. In which there is a dragon that is not Smaug, we learn the origins of a name, and Yavanna is very protective of her youngest children.

Disclaimer: No, this is not mine. Although I'll gladly take Richard Armitage and Martin Freeman. No? Yeah, that's what I thought…

* * *

Chapter One: The Children of Yavanna

Yavanna remembers the Firstborn, the children of Eru, when they were new upon the world. She remembers the excitement in the newness, when the vision was first revealed to them, in the beginning of time, and they had set to work with all gladness, to prepare this new world for the Firstborn and the ones that followed after.

Yavanna remembers the making of the world, the battles with Morgoth, and the marks it left upon the world. Mountains and valleys, cliffs and caves.

And Yavanna remembers the Children of Aule.

…It is not that she dislikes her husband's children, although she cannot help but sigh at what will become of her dear trees, her growing plants, and it is not as if she doesn't understand that this will all be necessary, not only for the Children of Aule, but for the Children of Eru as well, and truly this is not the problem at all. Iluvatar has promised her the Ents and she is content with that.

…truly. She is. She wants for nothing more. At all.

The Valie sighed again, she knew what plagued her, and she disliked it immensely. When the truth had come out about the children that Aule had fashioned, the dwarves, it was not merely concern for the green things that had settled in Yavanna's heart. A yearning had come upon her, to have her own children, as her husband did, to bring something into life, something that grew, that flourished…

…And she could not help but think, as she looked at her husband's (rather… stumpy, and so _hairy_, too) children that perhaps, if only he'd _told _her, or asked for her help, they would've been… prettier. That is to say, there wasn't anything wrong with them! Truly! But her husband, the darling that he was, so much like a child at times, had been so excited, no doubt gathering inspiration from the brief vision of the firstborn that they had witnessed, as artists are often wont to do. And he'd made them as best he could remember, an artist attempting to capture a brief thought in his work, but the first tries are often clumsy, and do not do the thought much justice. And that was the problem, right there. Yavanna had better memory.

If only he'd asked!

But that was long gone and past. Eru had given the Children of Aule his blessing, adopting them as his own. And Yavanna… now, Yavanna _wanted._

It was a troubling thought, and it gave the Valie a troubled heart, until Aule asked her what it was that was upsetting her, and not one to hide secrets, Yavanna told him the truth. How she wanted children of her own, to nurture and care for. This perplexed Aule as well, for while he knew well the yearning his wife felt, he also knew that he had been but a stone's throw from earning Iluvatar's ire when he had fashioned his children.

So, of course, they went to Manwe to seek his cousel.

The King of the Valar thought long of Yavanna's request, and finally, he agreed to bring it up with Iluvatar, for what Yavanna was asking was not _too _unreasonable, after all. Eru had granted Aule's children his blessing, and here Yavanna was actually asking, unlike some (Aule actually managed to look sheepish). And all the children of Eru had long since awoken by now.

Iluvatar granted Yavanna's request, to the queen of earth's joy. And Aule offered to help her create them, to her delight.

She fashioned them after the firstborn, with pointed ears for she found those quite pleasing, and they were short, shorter than her husband's children (but not stumpy, of course, they would be well proportioned, small things), she did not wish to give them much hair, like the children of Aule, instead she gave them lovely curls (much like her own) and hairy feet, which perplexed her dear husband a bit, for he could not understand why feet had to be hairy, but Yavanna wanted it so, and she gave them leathery soles that could withstand any sharp rock or twig. They were her children, and they were children of the earth, who would love the green and growing things. They would always bear a connection to the earth, and what better way than to ever feel the grass beneath their feet?

At long last, Yavanna looked upon what she had created(with Aule's occasional help, of course), and was very pleased. She offered them to Eru, who breathed upon them life, and finally showed them to the rest of the valar, and even they could not help but coo at the new ones, for they were small, and soft, and adorable, peaceful things which took after their Mother's nature, and even Manwe smiled down at them fondly.

But Orome looked troubled. They were the gentlest of creatures, and they would not do battle against the dark forces, for they were much too sweet for such woes. And he voiced his troubles to the rest. Worrying that should Morgoth's forces ever come upon them, they would not be able to defend themselves.

Yavanna frowned, but she did not wish to turn her children into a fighting race, and so she made them quiet and subtle, so that they would pass unnoticed by most.

Nienna gave them endurance, that they might weather any darkness and ill, and even in the blackest of days, find hope.

Orome gave them skill, perhaps not with a bow for Yavanna would hear nothing of her children learning the ways of war, but a sharp aim nonetheless.

Vana laughed, and gave them song, so that they would always be a cheerful.

Varda, whom the elves call Elbereth, gave them light, that they would bring good will and happiness upon others.

And Manwe, who was quite taken with Yavanna's children, declared the land they settled upon would be blessed, and promised that they would be protected from harm.

Then Mandos, silent during the whole exchange, suddenly spoke: "So it shall be, by the finger of the smallest, the tower shall fall. Bless the little ones." but Mandos was oft speaking dreary prophetic gibberish such as that, so no one thought much of it.

Pleased at the reception her children had been given, Yavanna thanked them all kindly, and settled the little ones on the western side of Arda, along the path to Valinor. She blessed the land to always be fruitful, and Manwe, true to his word, protected it.

And she called them… Hobbits.

This perplexed her dear husband quite a bit, for he could not understand where the term came from. But Yavanna just laughed, and felt quite accomplished with herself.

* * *

…I can't believe I wrote that. Honestly, it was supposed to be a simple thing about where hobbits came from, but then I started writing Yavanna, and ohmigawd Yavanna is so easy to write, she just… she just… flows out, and now I've gone and made up personalities for Perplexed!Aule who is helpful but confused and Troll!Yavanna who loves her kids and her husband, but likes to troll him on occasion.

Yeah… what have you wrought, my brain?

BTW, just in case your confused –_ Manwe_, King of the Valar_. Varda_, Queen of the Stars and Manwe's wife. _Nienna,_ Lady of Mercy. _Orome_, the Huntsman of the Valar._ Vana_, sister of Yavanna and Lady of Flowers. _Mandos, _Doomsman of the Valar and caretaker of the dead. _Aule_, Creator of the Dwarfs and Craftsman of the Valar. _Yavanna_, Queen of the Earth, who cares for all things that grow. And of course, _Eru Iluvatar_, who is the One, the creator of the Valar and all things.

Reviews are love!


	2. Chapter 2

The Green Dragon

By XxWanderlustxX

Summary: Hobbit AU. In which there is a dragon that is not Smaug, we learn the origins of a name, and Yavanna is very protective of her youngest children.

* * *

Chapter Two: A Dragon of the Shire

He took a deep breath, golden claws digging into the soft earth as lime-green wings spread out and with an almighty flap, the dragon shot into the air – almost uprooting several trees in the process.

Within moments, the massive creature turned into a single speck in the clear blue sky, the late summer sunlight occasionally turning its emerald green scales a shimmering gold as it twisted through the air. It glided through fluffy white clouds, relishing the fading scent of summer as it was replaced by crisp autumn. Higher and higher the dragon went, shooting straight upward as if meaning to catch the golden sun itself, until suddenly, it stopped, turning gracefully, its wings spread out… and plummeted towards the earth.

The sky and the clouds sped past, the ground coming closer and closer, revealing rolling hills cloaked in lush, verdant green, surrounded by a winding streak of blue, and a single oak, taller than all the rest stood out in the middle of the green expanse.

Closer and closer it came, until it could clearly see brightly coloured banners stung on poles, flowers wreathed along the party tents and hobbits of every shape and size milling about in barely organized chaos. The feasting tables were set out and filled with every dish imaginable, overflowing with fine food and wine. Still, the dragon did not slow its descent.

The hobbits finally caught sight of the free-falling dragon and a great cry of alarm rose up. The dragon did not slow.

The party tree became bigger and bigger, closer and closer the dragon fell, until finally, mere meters from the highes branches of the tree, the emerald dragon spread its wings with a flourish. Gusts of wind buffeted the tree and the hobbits, more than several banners coming away. The dragon rode the updraft and proceeded to do a loop-de-loop before finally descending in front of the party tree.

There was a moment of stunned silence as the hobbits gazed at it, wide-eyed and hair tousled, then the dragon gave a small bow, its scales turning faintly gold as it caught sight of more than one hobbit sitting overturned in the grass.

The hobbits began to cheer, roaring with laughter, and Thaniel Greenstone, dragon of the Shire, flushed bright as he bowed gratefully.

* * *

It was a very important day for the hobbits.

Preparations had been going on for months. Hobbits from all walks of life, hobbits from the Shire, from Tookland, even from Bree, would all make the journey back to the Shire, convening under the party tree. Banners were set up and great garlands hung. Lads and Lasses would wear their finest and array themselves in flowers. Great feasts were set up, each family bringing its specialty and hundreds of hobbits milled about. The roads to the Shire were then closed, and no one, absolutely no other race was present during the time. It was the single, largest gathering of hobbits known. No hobbit would miss it for the world.

After all, the Feast of Yavanna happened only once every twenty years.

Thaniel watched with amusement as hundreds of hobbits milled about him, their tiny bodies looked even more miniscule standing beside the massive dragon. Tiny hobbit children clung at his feet and tail and the edges of his wings, squealing happily as he (_very very very carefully_ – for the hobbits were fragile things compared to him, and their hobbitlings even more so) lifted them up a few feet off the ground, and set them back down, inciting peals of laughter from the children. Their mothers watched with mild apprehension, although, no one asked him to stop.

"Tell us the story Thaniel! Tell us the story!" squealed the children.

They had, of course, heard the story before, but it was different when Thaniel was in dragon form, more magical somehow. The dragon smiled down at them mischievously.

"What story, little ones?" he replied, his voice was soft and not at all what one would expect from a dragon. "I have many stories."

"Tell us about the dragon!"

"Tell us about your naming-day!"

The dragon cocked his head to the side thoughtfully, as if considering, and the hobbitlings watched him wide-eyed muttering '_Please Please Please…'_

"Very well," he said finally, "I will tell you"

* * *

"A long time ago, when the Lady first created hobbits, she showed them to her brethren, the Great Ones that watch over the earth. They – whom, you should know, the elves call _Valar_ – found them pleasing, they saw that hobbits were kind and gentle folk, and gave them many gifts.

Among these gifts was a promise, from the King of the Valar himself – that hobbits would be protected from harm, for Arda was a dangerous land, where the fell creatures of Morgoth roam. And that promise was kept for many centuries yet.

The Lady settled the hobbits on the Western land of Arda, where all is green and plentiful, for the Lady herself blessed the land. But as times passed, the Lady grew ever fearful for her children – fell creatures multiplied and roamed like a plague through the lands – and she feared that her children would be helpless in the face of such foes.

And so she sought an audience with the King of the Valar, Manwe, who rules upon the skies, and begged him fulfill his promise and stay her children from harm.

Manwe told her, 'I shall think on this and find a suitable solution', for Manwe knew he could not always watch the hobbits and neglect his duties, neither could he send his servants, the great eagles, for they lived nowhere near the hobbits' lands.

For three days and three nights, he thought on this problem and finally, he came upon a solution. Manwe approached the Lady's husband, Aule – who is the maker of dwarves – and bid him shape a creature from clay.

A sleek creature, towering over trees and yet fast enough to sprint through them in an instant.

Aule began to work immediately, shaping it like a large lizard, swift and sleek and large, and finally he presented it to Manwe who looked it over thoughtfully, and said:

'Tis the right shape, indeed, but clay is soft and breaks easily. Make it a cloak, a strong armor to protect it from the fell creatures' weapons'

So Aule went back to his workshop and thought on it. This would be a gift for his beloved wife so it must look fitting for her. With that in mind, the craftsman of the Valar set to work.

He began to make a fine armor. He took the largest and finest emeralds and wove them together with strings of gold, which he then reinforced with a layer of mithril until he had created a shimmering green coat that would be the envy of all.

When he was done, he wrapped it over the clay creature and presented it to Manwe. The chief was pleased, for it was truly a beautiful cloak, but still he was not satisfied.

'It is beautiful work, indeed,' said he, 'but it is far too heavy and bulky. It will be caught on trees and tangled in bushes. It will slow down our creature, can you fix this still?'

So Aule went back and thought long and hard, he did not wish to destroy the fine cloak but he had to make it lighter and sleeker. Finally, an idea came to him.

The craftsman laid out the cloak and with his mighty hammer, struck the emeralds until they laid down flat, and the gold and mithril weave became so ingrained into the emeralds that it was hard to tell when one ended and the other began. Finally, he brought his work to Manwe, and he was pleased.

They draped the cloak over the creature, and it looked a fitting gift for the Queen of the Earth, indeed.

But the cloak was still far too heavy, and Manwe worried that it should lack for speed because of the armor. So he thought and finally, an idea came to him.

Manwe gathered up the great feathers of the eagles and, as Aule had done, wove them together with gold until he created feathered wings of great span, which he fixed upon the creature's shoulders and gave to it the gift of flight.

Satisfied with their work, Manwe and Aule took the creature outside and as the sun shone upon its emerald cloak, the green colour reflected and turned the snow white wings a pale green.

However, watching the creature now, the two were reminded of the fell beasts of Morgoth that had once walked the earth, the dragons, but this one was softer somehow, and had a kinder set to its features.

'A dragon it is, then,' said Manwe, 'For that is what shape it has been wrought, and yet it is not one of the fell beasts of Morgoth. It is a green dragon, no flame passes its lips for made it was of earth and clay. We shall give it to Yavanna, and ever-after, it shall be a dragon of Yavanna. A dragon of the earth.'

And so the dragon was given to Yavanna, who taught it the ways of the green and growing things and settled it in Arda with a single and most important duty:

To protect her children, the hobbits.'

* * *

The hobbitlings cheered as Thaniel finished his tale, and the dragon began to lap at a large earthenware pot that had been filled with mead. Hobbit mugs were far too small for him and so, on feasts like this, he was often given large pots instead.

A silvery voice rang out, and Thaniel looked up as the assemblage fell utterly silent.

"Dost thou begin the telling of tales without us, Thaniel?" laughed Yavanna.

* * *

…I did it, I made another chappie! (Is so proud of herself) guys, guys, please tell me what you think?


End file.
